About Achievable Dream Middle & High School

An Achievable Dream is a unique partnership between Newport News Public Schools, the City of Newport News, and the local business community to give our students who are at risk of failure in school due to socioeconomic factors, a chance to succeed. Students in kindergarten through 12th grade are offered a quality education in a nurturing environment as well as the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with caring adults.

For more information, contact Lee Vreeland, Vice President of Academics, An Achievable Dream, Inc.

Intersession: We have a 4-week Intersession in the summer in which we provide additional tutoring to those students who are struggling and enrichment activities to the remaining students.

Curriculum: An Achievable Dream Middle and High School offers a curriculum that challenges our students and raises the level of expectations they have for themselves: building confidence and self-esteem. Intensive reading programs, accelerated math courses, and mandatory etiquette classes are just a few examples of our aggressive approach to learning and our belief that every child can learn and succeed.

The faculty and staff at An Achievable Dream Middle and High School work extremely hard and are committed to the academic achievement of all our students. With extended school days, we are convinced that our students are given the opportunity to be successful. This is evident by our school becoming fully accredited by Virginia's Standards of Learning (SOL) assessment. Our students have successfully passed all core subjects.

Support from the business community allows us to offer more access to “tools for success” and opportunities for our students who would not otherwise have them. Corporate Partners participate in the "What it Takes" Program teaching students the soft skills required for entering the workforce. Small class size and low student-to-teacher ratio assure students the individual attention they deserve. And with the support of the business community, more computers are available for our students’ use in the school, which gives them a step-up in technology.

All students are required to take tennis instruction. Tennis is a life-long game that teaches good sportsmanship, personal development, and tactics and strategy that students can enjoy at any age. Tennis teaches discipline, fairness, and other life-skills that help them succeed.

Riverside Health System Foundation partners with An Achievable Dream, Inc. to fund and operate the school based health clinic at the Achievable Dream Middle and High School. Unique features of this clinic include health promotion and disease prevention by facilitating self-responsibility through the application of coordinated, multilevel interventions that are consistent with Healthy People 2010 guidelines. A Riverside nurse provides a supportive environment, education about wellness, attendance intervention, home visits, safety and violence prevention, as well as a chance to screen students and identify those that need additional counseling, mental health or social services. These services are also available to family members.

In addition, Riverside Health System volunteers 96 hours of professional time as one of the four corporate partners at the Middle and High School. Riverside leaders provide education sessions for students to promote the development of skills that are vital to career interests and success. The "What it Takes" Program highlights positive personal growth in areas such as work ethic, attitude, teamwork, problem solving, decision making, independence, listening, speaking and more. These skills are of particular importance in the health care industry.

Character Education

Character Education is the foundation of An Achievable Dream Academy and is taught every day. Banners with motivational phrases and the well-defined rules of the school are hung throughout the school building. Guest speakers and extracurricular activities are planned around character development themes such as integrity, honesty, respect for oneself and others, and self discipline. As a national award winner for our Character Education Program, we strive to develop the skills that a student needs to be a successful, responsible adult. This could not be done without our unique partnership with the City of Newport News, Newport News Sheriff's Department, Newport News Police Department, and the business community.

Uniform Inspection and Bookstore

Our students are required to wear uniforms every day to school. Each morning uniforms are inspected by sheriffs and police officers from the City of Newport News Sheriff's Department and Police Department. Students earn merit points if they are wearing their uniforms according to our guidelines, and have merit points deducted for any uniform violations.

Each student has a checking account at the school where the merit points are deposited into their accounts on a daily basis. Students can use the merit points they have accumulated to purchase school supplies at the school book store. In addition to school supplies, students can purchase tickets to school activities such as dances. Also, they can purchase school-sponsored trips to Hampton University, Christopher Newport University or Washington Redskins home football games. Tickets to Busch Gardens or Water Country USA are also available.